Music Review: Rise Against - Appeal To Reason

Rise Against is an punk rock band from Chicago, they were formed in 1999. The current members of the band are: Tim McIlrath (vocals, guitar), Joe Principe (bass guitar), Brandon Barnes (drums), and Zach Blair (guitar). They have released four previous albums, and the new album (their 3rd major label release), Appeal to Reason was released October 7th, 2008.

Rise Against's lyrics are very politically fueled, and the band makes no apologies for it. Their music is hard driving and brings up memories of Green Day and The Offspring. The first single from the album, "Re-Education (Through Labor)" was released August 19th, and it gained huge popularity on radio, currently #4 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. I liked this song from the first moment I heard the first guitar hook, it grabbed me and wouldn't let go!

The rest of the album does not disappoint, from the first track, "Collapse (Post-Amerika)," with it's hard driving guitars that start the song like a Kiss song. This song describes a world which is slowly deteriorating with pollution, disease, animal extinction - and how it's not too late to reverse the problems if we all work together. The song even encourages everyone to choose a side and not remain neutral with the lyrics:

Neutrality means that you don’t really care
Cuz the struggle goes on whether or not you’re there
Blind and unaware

Quite powerful lyrics, which the band continues through many more of the songs on this album.

Of the other songs on this album, and I feel that there are two or three good selections for the 2nd radio single - Either "Audience of One," a very melodic anthem-like song - with it's Goo-Goo Dolls sound, or "Entertainment" with it's fast guitars and catchy lyrics about the state of the entertainment industry. I also liked "Savior" - one of the love themed songs on the album, it has some power to it, and really shows off Tim's voice, especially near the end of the song.

However, there was one song which stood out from all the others - "Hero Of War." This song is all acoustic, and carries a powerful message about a soldier who goes to war. This is one song worth listening to for the message alone. Tim really drives home the point that soldiers are really not as glorified as the media or the american public makes them out to be. Rise Against is a politically driven band, although they don't think that's entirely accurate. They have said that they are no more political than punk bands of the past. I disagree, "Hero of War" is a song which could bring some soldiers to tears or anger after one listen.

Article Author: Zaldor

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